Sign Regulations in Shoreline, WA (2026)
5 verified sign regulations for Shoreline, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Political Signs
Campaign signs in the City of Shoreline do not need a sign permit under SMC section 20.50.610(R), which exempts "campaign signs that comply with size, location and duration limits provided in Shoreline Administrative Rules." The Municipal Code itself sets no numeric cap; instead it defers the size, placement and how-long-they-can-stand-up limits to those separately adopted Administrative Rules, while still holding campaign signs to the sight-distance and right-of-way conditions that apply to every exempt sign.
Shoreline Campaign Sign Exemption Rules
Light RestrictionsShoreline Municipal Code § 20.50.610(R)
§ 20.50.610. Exempt signs. The following are exempt from the provisions of this chapter, except that all exempt signs must comply with SMC § 20.50.540(A), Sight Distance, and SMC § 20.50.540(B), Private Signs on City Right-of-Way: ... ... R. Campaign signs that comply with size, location and duration limits provided in Shoreline Administrative Rules.
Garage Sale Signs
Garage sale signs in the City of Shoreline are exempt from a sign permit, but SMC section 20.50.610(O) caps them at four square feet per sign face and limits how long they can advertise: no longer than 48 hours. The exemption still requires the sign to meet SMC section 20.50.540's sight-distance and right-of-way rules, so a homeowner cannot post a sale sign that blocks visibility at a corner or driveway.
Shoreline Garage Sale Sign Size and Time Limit
Light RestrictionsShoreline Municipal Code § 20.50.610(O)
§ 20.50.610. Exempt signs. The following are exempt from the provisions of this chapter, except that all exempt signs must comply with SMC § 20.50.540(A), Sight Distance, and SMC § 20.50.540(B), Private Signs on City Right-of-Way: ... ... O. Garage sale signs not exceeding four square feet per sign face and not advertising for a period longer than 48 hours.
Digital Billboards
In the City of Shoreline, new off-premises advertising billboards are banned outright: SMC section 20.50.550(C) lists them among prohibited signs in every zone. Any billboard already standing keeps nonconforming status and may remain, but SMC section 20.50.590(B) bars enlarging, elevating or relocating it, and specifically forbids installing an electronic changing message or reader board in an existing billboard.
Shoreline Bans New and Digital Billboards
Heavy RestrictionsShoreline Municipal Code §§ 20.50.550(C), 20.50.590(B)(2)
C. Outdoor off-premises advertising signs (billboards). ... ... § 20.50.590. Nonconforming signs. ... ... B. Billboards now in existence are declared nonconforming and may remain subject to the following restrictions: ... ... 2. Installation of electronic changing message or reader boards in existing billboards is prohibited.
Window Signs
In the City of Shoreline, a window sign in the MUR-45', MUR-70', NB, CB, MB, TC-1, TC-2 or TC-3 zones can cover no more than 25 percent of the total window area under SMC § 20.50.540(H), and a non-illuminated window sign needs no sign permit.
Shoreline window sign coverage limit
Some RestrictionsShoreline Municipal Code § 20.50.540(H)
H. Window Signs. Window signs are permitted to occupy maximum 25 percent of the total window area in zones MUR-45', MUR-70', NB, CB, MB, TC-1, TC-2, and TC-3. Window signs are exempt from permit if non-illuminated and do not require a permit under the building code.
Freeway-Facing Signs
In the City of Shoreline, a property zoned NB, CB or TC-3 that fronts a state route, SR 99, 104, 522 or 523, qualifies for the larger MB, TC-1 and TC-2 monument sign standards under the Table 20.50.540(G) exception, rather than the smaller monument sign allowance its own zone would otherwise carry.
Shoreline state route frontage sign rule
Light RestrictionsShoreline Municipal Code § 20.50.540(G)
G. Table 20.50.540(G) – Sign Dimensions. A property may use a combination of the four types of signs listed below. ... Exceptions to Table 20.50.540(G): (1) The monument sign standards for MB, TC-1, and TC-2 apply on properties zoned NB, CB, and TC-3 where the parcel has frontage on a State Route, including SR 99, 104, 522, and 523.
Looking for King County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Shoreline city rules.
Sign Regulations in King County →